1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been proposed a connector comprised of a receptacle connector and a plug connector (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2005-71769).
The receptacle connector is comprised of a receptacle-side housing including a receiving portion for receiving the plug connector, and a plurality of receptacle-side contacts each held by a corresponding one of two side walls of the receptacle-side housing, opposed to each other via the receiving portion.
Each receptacle-side contact includes a receptacle-side contact portion that is capable of being brought into contact with a plug-side contact portion of the plug connector. The receptacle-side contact portion faces the receiving portion.
The plug connector is comprised of a plug-side housing including a protrusion that is capable of being fitted in the receiving portion of the receptacle connector, and a plurality of plug-side contacts each held by a corresponding one of opposite surfaces of the protrusion, respectively.
Each plug-side contact includes the plug-side contact portion that is capable of being brought into contact with the associated receptacle-side contact portion of the receptacle connector, and an elastically deformable plug-side spring portion for supporting the plug-side contact portion.
The plug-side contact portion and the plug-side spring portion are accommodated in a contact accommodating space formed in each of the opposite surfaces of the protrusion. Part of the plug-side contact portion protrudes from the contact accommodating space.
When the receptacle connector and the plug connector are fitted to each other, the plug-side contact portion of the plug-side contact and the receptacle-side contact portion of the receptacle-side contact are brought into contact with each other. At this time, the plug-side spring portion of the plug connector is elastically deformed, whereby the plug-side contact portion is withdrawn into the contact accommodating space against the spring force thereof. This generates a contact force between the receptacle-side contact portion and the plug-side contact portion, whereby the receptacle connector and the plug connector are electrically connected.
A gap between the receptacle-side housing and the plug-side housing formed when the receptacle connector and the plug connector are fitted to each other is small, and therefore when one of the housings is tilted with respect to the fitting direction after the receptacle connector and the plug connector are fitted, there is a fear that the housing is damaged. For example, when a notebook PC (Personal Computer) is connected to a docking station on a desk, a PC-side connector is fitted to a docking station-side connector with a fitting surface of the PC-side connector located at one end of the bottom surface of the notebook PC kept opposed to a fitting surface of the docking station-side connector. After the PC-side connector has been fitted, when the other end of the bottom surface of the notebook PC is placed on the desk, the PC-side connector is tilted with respect to the fitting direction.
To avoid this inconvenience, it is only required to increase the gap formed between the housings when the connectors are fitted.
However, if the gap is simply increased, when the connectors are fitted, the position of the plug-side housing within the receiving portion of the receptacle connector is displaced in a contact direction. Therefore, although the amount of deformation of the plug-side spring portion of a first plug-side contact, which is disposed on one surface (surface facing the resulting smaller gap) of the protrusion of the plug-side housing, becomes sufficiently large, the amount of deformation of the plug-side spring portion of a second plug-side contact, which is disposed on the other surface (surface facing the resulting larger gap) of the protrusion of the plug-side housing, becomes very small.
As a result, although a sufficient contact force is generated between the receptacle-side contact portion of a first receptacle-side contact, which is disposed on one side wall of the receptacle-side housing, and the plug-side contact portion of the first plug-side contact, which is disposed on one surface of the protrusion of the plug-side housing, only a very small contact force is generated (or no contact force is generated) between the receptacle-side contact portion of a second receptacle-side contact, which is disposed on the other side wall of the receptacle-side housing, and the plug-side contact portion of the second plug-side contact, which is disposed on the other surface of the protrusion of the plug-side housing.